ARE THERE ENOUGH PLANTS? 45 



The small fraction of timber owners who have yielded to sci- 

 entific principles have found that long term science and long term 

 economics work in perfect harmony. The final result is greater bene- 

 fit to both the owner and the public. The goal of the operator is 

 shifted from selfish desire for large, quick profits to smaller, sus- 

 tained profits coupled with social goals of permanent employment, 

 community welfare, and continuing satisfaction of the nation's tim- 

 ber demands. This is citizenship in action. 



It is the business of the forester to discover and apply the 

 natural laws which make possible greater production on a given 

 wooded area, greater utilization of the parts of each tree, greater 

 long term benefits to both producer and consumer. It is the con- 

 sensus of foresters that our present forest acreage can ~be managed 

 so as to produce annually, forever, 20 billion board feet of timber, 

 which would be ample for present normal needs. 6 It is not now so 

 managed. If demand rises, and it almost surely will, more forest acre- 

 age will be needed or more intensive management must then be de- 

 vised and applied. 



Our forests cannot under present practices continue to supply our 

 needs. The U. S. Forest Service estimates that we were (before 

 World War II, which aggravated the situation) adding 850,000 acres 

 annually of devastated forest land to the vast area already wrecked. 

 Furthermore, only 5 per cent of cut over land receives any attention 

 leading toward a satisfactory second growth. 7 The forester, as an 

 agricultural scientist, must have a position of greater influence in 

 private forestry if the nation is to avoid a very unpleasant situation. 



Ill CHEMURGY AND ITS DEMANDS 



What is Chemurgy? Chemurgy is a new word, coined to denote 

 a branch of chemistry at work, processing surplus crops into indus- 

 trial goods. From soy beans may be made a plastic which is moulded 

 into hundreds of objects formerly made of metal. From soy may 

 be made glue, paper sizing, fireproof paint, gaskets and cloth. 

 Chemurgists are working on a plastic made from alfalfa protein. 

 DuPont uses coal in making nylon, but says farm crops can be used 

 instead. Synthetic rubber from alcohol levies a draft on soil grown 

 carbohydrates, Avhich are fermented to produce the required alcohol. 

 From milk casein is being made paint, glue, sizing, imitation ivory 

 and good cloth much like wool. For years England has used a motor 

 fuel which is 30 per cent alcohol. 



"The deep south has long suffered from lack of industries, 

 overproduced cotton and severe erosion. Dr. Charles Herty, 

 a chemist, found a way to use weedy, five-to-fifteen-year-old 

 slash pine in making both kraft and newsprint. Papermen had 

 said southern pine was too yellow, too gummy. At one blow 



Ibid. p. 228. 



. pp. 224-25. 



